Concerned Citizen

            While making this assignment, we decided to show a lot of Greg’s actual art in the two restaurants.  This was able to show the ambiance that his art created in the restaurants.  We also wanted to show exactly what kinds of things Greg was doing, instead of just having him sit and tell us.  Instead of taking his word for it, we could see for ourselves the effect that he was having on the community.  We were luckily able to get easy access to the restaurants that he worked with.    

This assignment brought Lizzie Velàsquez to mind.  Lizzie is a motivational speaker and author that was labeled the ugliest woman in 2012.  Lizzie suffers from a horrible disorder that prevents her from gaining body fat.  She is blind in one eye and has a very weak immune system.  She is also only 26 years old.  After having two very offensive YouTube videos released about her, she became a motivational speaker against bullying.  Lizzie now has a large following of supporters that have her back.  This is so inspirational because Lizzie reaches beyond her community to help other people.  She performs an exemplary service by being a role model for youth and an advocate against bullying.  What Greg does is very inspiring because he tries to encourage goodness through his art.  If we had more people like Greg and Lizzie that serve the people around them, this world would be awesome.   

In, From Datastan to Storyland, Arlene Goldberg explains the ways that providing a personal, human story helps people connect to issues and causes in ways that mere data and planning cannot. For instance, she points out that, although President Obama and his administration have tried to address various social problems, Goldberg points out that although politicians often create programs to do so, they are often unable to get the support and acknowledgement they need to bring about significant change. However, this type of change is more likely to come about when we learn about these problems and their solutions when they are rooted in personal stories that connect people to culture. Greg and his colleagues’ work addresses problems of lack of culture and exposure in the Provo/Orem area. By presenting his story as an extension of himself, our documentary may help others to see the change, excitement, and bonding that can come about when we bring playful art into our community.

         Greg explained that he chose to help with this work because he grew up in Provo, and he feels like the community he grew up in influences his current work. He chose to give back to that community by sharing his work in a permanent way with a variety of members of the community. His work reflects the simple, suburban life that was central to his childhood, and by choosing to work on these projects, he gave some of himself back to that community.